Washing-machine



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ASBURY WILKINSON, OF MADISON, INDIANA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 25,542, dated September 20, 1859i.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AsBURY lVILKiNson, of the city of Madison, in the county of J efferson and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tashing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which I desire to constitute a part of this specification, like letters in every figure referring to like parts.

The nature of my invention consists in providing two self adjusting circular shaped wash boards between which a corrugated roller is made to revolve, thus converting the reciprocating motion (found in most all machines) into rotarycontinuous rotary motion. The advantages of this will appear in the following description, to which I now proceed in order that others skilled in the art, may be able to make and use my invention.

In the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that Figure l is an upright perspective view of the whole machine together, complete. Fig. 2 is the self adjusting circular shaped wash-board which is suspended by springs on the under side of the corrugated roller Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is the top wash-board, under which the corrugated roller plays.

A, represents a plain square or otherwise shaped box for containing the soap suds and the clothes (the unwashed at one end, and those that have passed through the machine at the other end). Also, in this box are suspended from the rack a, a, a, the circular wash boards B and C by spiral springs b, Z), &c.

Fig. 4-the corrugated roller, is provided with a round shaft 7L, h, passing through its center, by means of which it is suspended in the center of box A. Its corrugations may be round, or sharp, on their outer surface, but must run lengthwise of the roller (z', i, &c). This roller is driven by the crank J. The box, roller, and everything connected with the machine may be made to suit the fancy of the mechanic as to size,

&c. The corrugations on the periphery of roller Fig. 4 must be stationary, and the corrugations (c, z', &c) in the circular .wash boards B and C must be made round and turn upon bearings at their ends.

The pin on frame a, a, catches on the underside of key a, (L, and serves to hold not only said frame in place, b ut also the shaft it, 71 of the roller Fig. 4. Crank J serves to rotate this roller.

lVhat I consider new in my machine is, the combination and peculiar arrangement of circular boards B and C, suspended by springs, with the roller Fig. 4 playing between them. rI`he advantages of this arrangement are self evident, viz: 1st. It makes a machine as perfectly anti-friction as possible. Qnd. The board C, suspended above, not only facilitates the washing process, but causes the clot-hes to keep a continuous over and over motion, as it catches them as soon A as they emerge from beneath the corrugated roller and passes them over to the other side and a rubbing process, and 3d, these boards B and C being suspended by springs (spiral are the best, though other forms of springs may be used) gives to them a selfadjusting quality not found on any machine of similar construction. By this too the pressure may be graduated to suit the kind of work the machine is required to perform.

I do not wish to be understood as claiming, broadly, the construction of a washing machine composed of board B, and corrugated roller Fig. at, as I am aware that similar devices have long been known, but,

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure Letters Patent upon, is,

The combination of circular boards B and C, suspended from a frame above, by springs Z9, o, b, &c, with a rotary corrugated roller Fig. 4f, working between them; all constructed and operated substantially as set forth in the foregoing specification.

ASBURY I/VILKINSON. Vitnesses S. M. GooDE, LORENZO THOMAS. 

